Volunteers hope for healthy new harvest at Oklahoma City's Farmers Public Market

Kristen Vails and Alison Bailey are looking back more than 80 years for inspiration as they attempt to transform the Farmers Public Market area.

Farmers' Public Market, as shown in this earlyday postcard, was the only place where produce sales were allowed in Oklahoma City when it first opened. Oklahoman archives

In recent weeks, Vails and Bailey have overseen an army of volunteers, mostly college students and young professionals, to bring life back to an area just south of downtown that for decades was a vibrant hub of commerce before fading the past 20 years.

The effort, Better Block OKC, attempts to show how big results can be achieved with minor changes to infrastructure, signage, building appearance and promotion.

Last year, food trucks, pop-up shops, temporary parks, live music and festivities drew thousands to the first Better Block OKC, at NW 7 and Hudson.

The second annual staging will be Saturday at Farmers Public Market.

Vails and Bailey have higher ambitions with their second go-round. In setting up the produce stalls, signage and other temporary staging, Bailey said organizers often took their guidance from historic photos of the market area provided by the Oklahoma Historical Society.

The Better Block OKC organizers say they're surprised by the warm reception they are receiving from property owners. Those in the area are eager to create a weekly destination with the Farmers Public Market already hosting a trade show offering collectibles, retro gifts and antiques every Saturday and Sunday morning.

At the same time, another building is being renovated into a yoga studio, and Matthew Burch has been operating the Urban Agrarian for the past two years. Bailey said Burch will operate an indoor dining venue during the Better Block festivities — an experiment that could lead to a more permanent operation.

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Steve Lackmeyer is a reporter and columnist who started his career at The Oklahoman in 1990. Since then, he has won numerous awards for his coverage, which included the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, the city's Metropolitan...

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Better Block OKC will run 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in the area of 311 S Klein, with a variety of food trucks and vendors offering breakfast and lunch. Pop-up shops are set up throughout the market area, and musicians will provide free entertainment during the day.

History

John J. Harden was one of the city's richest men when he sought to build a large market to provide a meeting place for farmers and fruit growers, renting booths for 25 cents a day.

The building was constructed on the former home of Delmar Gardens, an Oklahoma City version of Coney Island that closed in 1910 after a series of devastating floods. In the 1920s, farmers often lined up along California Avenue, creating an often chaotic scene for city fathers.

Harden secured support from the public and six groups that encouraged the city council to approve his proposal to ban the sale of fresh produce — with the exception of milk and dairy products — anywhere else within Oklahoma City limits.

Nearly 50,000 shoppers crowded the market on its opening day. An orchestra played as shoppers snatched up 15,000 bags of free vegetables — promised by Harden as a promotion — in 90 minutes. Sales were more than $565,000 during the first year and within three years increased to $1.2 million. The market was also home to often dubious traveling medicine shows, as well as boxing matches, concerts and roller skating. The market began its long descent in the 1970s, with more and more of the main building dedicated to an antique mall while a dwindling number of produce vendors continued sales in surrounding buildings.